A swirl of the glass, I smell the wine and I get that preliminary 'animal' smell which indicates that this is a natural wine. Within minutes, the smell mellows down to reveal a stunning 100% Tempranillo. We had no idea at this stage that this was a natural wine though I could suspect from the smell. But this is one of those wines which really challenges your perception of what a natural wine should be. While natural wines may get away with being 'unstable' this was neither unstable nor does it have any sign of oxidisation even though it has been open for more than three hours and has been double decanted. Last week, I tasted three wines made by Spanish winemaker Goyo Garcia Viadero at a wine-tasting of Ribero del Deuro wines at a wine club I am member of. Present for the wine tasting, Goyo, the Spanish winemaker, told us that for 50 years he had been working in vineyards. "I've worked all my life in vineyards for others. I was a bit of a 'mercenary' but I had this idea of the … [Read more...]
Bishop’s Gin: Blending tradition with modernity
Bishop's Gin is a new London Dry Gin that has just been launched on the Belgian market. Created by Thierry Ponet, founder of Ponet Spirits and Matthieu Chaumont of Brussels cocktail bar Hortense, it is a gin that is steeped in tradition while being innovative at the same time. The gin with its distinct label designed by Stranger and Stranger is already competing for the best packaging in the World's Packaging Design Society. This new gin is the result of a collaboration and a discussion between master cocktail maker Matthieu Chaumont who was on the watch for a versatile gin and Thierry Ponet who wanted to revive his family's anestral genever craftsmanship. Ponet lived in London for 15 years before moving back to Belgium around two years ago. "Thierry wanted to relaunch the distillation activity of his family but we reflected that it would be better to create a gin rather than genever. The name Bishop's Gin comes from the fact that when they were looking at Thierry's family … [Read more...]
A tour of Sicily through its wines
Goethe said in the 18th century that to have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything. Is that valid for Sicily's wine? And how do you take a tour of Sicily during a wine tasting? That was the question I tried to answer in a tasting of Sicilian wine that I presented recently. A tour of Sicily is by no means easy. Many refer to the largest island in the Mediterranean as a continent and you can see why when you are in the process of selecting the wines for such a tasting. You can approach Sicilian wine in many ways. Maybe the simplest approach would be to focus either on Mount Etna as a region on its own or else look at some of Sicily's indigenous grapes and showcase them specifically comparing the way the wineries work with the grapes and their terroir. But I wanted to take a different approach which was that of showcasing the different styles of wines that you can find and also challenge stereotypes. The … [Read more...]
Barone Ricasoli: A visit to the oldest winery in Italy and the one which created the Chianti Classico
The Brolio Castle in the heart of Chianti Classico between the communes of Gaiole in Chianti and Castelnuovo Berardenga is an imposing castle dating back to the middle ages. It houses the oldest winery in Italy, Barone Ricasoli and the second oldest in the world. Although I had already visited the castle some years back, the children on a recent trip to the area wanted to visit the castle given we were in the area. The largest winery in the Chianti Classico area, it was in this castle that the Baron Bettino Ricasoli invented the Chianti Formula in 1872. Francesco Ricasoli, Bettino's great-grandson who has been at the helm of the family business since 1993 says that 'the research we do today has almost one thousand years behind it'. You get a sense of history the minute you step in the grounds of the castle. This is one of the oldest standing family businesses in the world. The first stones of Brolio Castle date back to the middle ages. The castle passed into the … [Read more...]
Supermarket wines: A blind tasting 15 years later
They say a day is a long time in politics, but in the world of wine, going back 10 years could easily be the equivalent. There have been so many changes in the world of food and wine that it is interesting to sometimes take a step back and reflect on developments that have taken place. A wine club I am member of, last week organised a very intriguing tasting. It was one which was not only philosophically challenging but also aimed at eliminating any possible misconceptions or preconceptions that one could have. 13 years ago, before I was even a member of this wine club or had even moved to Brussels, the club would once a year organise a supermarket wine tasting and recommend wines that could be cellared. Before you jump to any conclusions about the club, it should be said that the tastings organised by this club are exceptional and have taken us on some great journeys around the world of wine. But in the past, in a bid to attract new members, and at a time when wine was maybe … [Read more...]
A visit to Antinori’s new winery in Chianti Classico
There is something special about the Tuscan countryside. It may sound like a cliché but everything about the region is special. From the landscape to the food and wine, you are always in for a treat. It is therefore no wonder that it is one of the most sought after regions in Italy if not the world. There is a lot on offer and no matter how many times you visit, you will always discover new things. On our last visit, we decided to head to the new Antinori cellars in Bargino, San Casciano in Val di Pesa. The cellars of this renowned Tuscan (and Italian) winemaker were inaugurated on October 25, 2012 and are a homage to the family's historic ties with the region. For Italian wine lovers, Antinori needs no introduction. The have been producing wine for over 20 generations with the last generation improving on the winery's already stellar reputation with the creation of high-end wines with a story like Tignanello and Solaia. Their new cellars and headquarters in Bargino are unique in … [Read more...]
The story of Stella Artois
When you drive into Leuven, your senses are immediately heightened. One of the things you see is the Stella Artois brewery (which also makes Jupiler and Leffe). But what hits you most is the amazing aroma of the beer being brewed. It's a smell of yeast which reminds me of my childhood back in Malta. Living only a few kilometres away from one of the only breweries in Malta, we would get a whiff of the beer being brewed everytime the wind blew in our direction. The history of Stella Artois dates back to 1366. It was in this year that the original Den Hoorn brewery was founded. This brewery laid the foundation for the taste and standard of this Belgian beer and the symbol of the Den Hoorn Brewery is still displayed on the beer's label. At a visit to the Stella Artois brewery recently we not only got a glimpse of the factory but also a look at its history. When the University of Leuven was founded in 1425 it not only brought knowledge to the city but it added to the know how of … [Read more...]
10 Chianti Classico producers you should know
There is no question that when it comes to Italian wines, Tuscany and Piedmont are among the favourite regions of wine connoisseurs. The wines of Tuscany like the region are special and there is a lot to write about but in this post we would like to place the spotlight on the Chianti Classico, which is a region within the Chianti region between the Tuscan cities of Florence and Siena. Most wine lovers will know a Chianti wine but few will actually be able to name producers from the Chianti region. Older consumers might also remember a squat bottle which used to be enclosed in a straw basket but this is only used by very few producers now. For many years, Chianti had a bad name and was associated with cheap Italian wine but when made by great producers this is a wine that has character and is exceptionally good value for money especially when compared to the pricier Super Tuscans, Brunello di Montalcino or the Nobile di Montepulciano. It was Baron Bettino Ricasoli who … [Read more...]
Pouring the perfect beer
Did you know that there is a nine-step ritual to serving the perfect Stella Artois? There is no question that Belgians take their beer very seriously, but Stella Artois has developed a way to ensure that when customers drink a beer in a bar, they get the perfect experience. That job can only be done by a bartender who learns how to serve the perfect beer. And to do this, this Belgian brewery from Leuven has been organising a world draughtmaster competition to find the person who can pour the perfect beer. The winner becomes the global ambassador for a year, travelling the world and helping other bartenders learn how to serve the perfect beer. The Belgian final to find the representative who will be competing in the 18th edition of the Stella Artois World's Draughtmasters final in London was held on 3rd June at Stella's old brewery in Leuven. Jan Vandenplas of Bar Nine in Leuven won the competition among 20 regional finalists. The World's Draughtmaster for 2014, Belgian Marjolein … [Read more...]
From journalism to winemaking – the story of Clos de L’Obac
The wines of Clos De L'Obac don't need any introduction among lovers of Spanish wines. These wines are known for their balance and elegance and have great ageing potential. I recently caught up with Guillem Pastrana at a tasting organised by Belgian importer of Spanish wines La Buena Vida. He is the son of former journalist Carles Pastrana and his wife, a Barcelona enologist Mariona Jarque who embarked on their life adventure devoting their professional and family future on a project to recover the wines of El Priorat and to make these wines internationally recognised. 30 years later, you can easily say that they have succeeded in their mission to make their wines internationally known. The wines are exported to over 40 countries to the extent that Guillem says they are no longer looking to expand. Guillem explained the philosophy of the winery. "At the age of 34, my father, who was a journalist in Spain, wanted a change in his life. He decided, together with my mother, to … [Read more...]